Deep Purple are dedicating their new studio album to Jon.
Titled NOW What?!, it comes out at the end of this month.
The band received the message of Jon’s demise while gathered in Tennessee last July to record the album.
– We knew it was coming to a certain extent but it was still a terrible shock, Ian Gillan later told Classic Rock magazine.
– So there was a moment of silence and a few hushed words… we could feel Jon’s spirit there.
– Before long, everyone chipped in with a few choice anecdotes and the mood lightened up a little. Because Jon wouldn’t’ve wanted us to be morose. He would’ve wanted us to get on with it, Ian Gillan said.
Jon’s departure left an impression on the recording of album.
– There was a great deal of poignancy to a couple of the lyrics that just naturally came in at that point. A line in one of the new songs is: ‘Souls having touched are forever entwined.’ That’s in a track called Above and Beyond. It felt as if Jon was spiralling up into the music, explained Ian Gillan.
– He was a great source of inspiration at that particular moment. Once you’re finished with your body… well, I won’t get into all that, but I think the spirit becomes more evident, especially with those that you’ve embraced throughout your life.
In this Planet Rock interview from last July, a choked up Ian Gillan speaks about losing Jon and using his inspiration to write new lyrics:
Jon Lord - The Official Website 
A fitting tribute. So much of Deep Purple’s sound was Jon !
A nice gesture! Rick Wakeman also dedicated his re-recording of Journey to the Centre of the Earth to Jon. Apparantly, Jon was insisting that Rick should re-record it since it was only recorded live before. Any more albums dedicated to Jon?
/Göran